Sun-Venus-Mars Conjunction

Figure 1 shows the forthcoming conjunction of Sun, Venus and Mars around January 6th to 8th of 2026 in the area of 16º to 18º of Capricorn. The conjunction is opposed by Jupiter in 20º retrograde of Cancer.  The midpoint between my Ascendant and Sun is almost exactly 19º Aries so it's likely to have some effect on me.

Figure 1

Here is what Gemini had to say about the synodic period of Venus and Mars.

The synodic period of Mars and Venus relative to each other—specifically the interval between their conjunctions as viewed from Earth—is approximately 2.13 years (about 780 days) on average.

However, this interval is highly irregular compared to the standard synodic periods of planets relative to the Sun. While the mathematical average is about 2.13 years, the actual gap between conjunctions can swing between roughly 1.9 years and 2.6 years due to the planets' complex relative motions.

Here is a breakdown of why this happens and how the cycle works:

1. The "Geocentric" Mechanism

To understand the timing, it helps to view the motions from Earth's perspective:

• Mars moves relatively slowly across the sky. The Sun (and Earth) "laps" Mars every 780 days (Mars's synodic period).

• Venus is an "inferior" planet, meaning it is tethered to the Sun from our perspective. It never strays more than 47° from the Sun.

• The Result: Since Venus always stays close to the Sun, it effectively "tags along" with the Sun as the Sun laps Mars. Therefore, Venus also passes Mars on average every 780 days.

2. Why the Interval Varies

Unlike the Sun, which moves at a relatively steady pace along the ecliptic, Venus oscillates back and forth around the Sun (appearing as the Morning Star or Evening Star).

• Short Interval (~1.9 years): If Venus is on the "leading" side of the Sun during one pass and on the "trailing" side during the next, it catches up to Mars sooner.

• Long Interval (~2.6 years): If Venus is "trailing" the Sun and then switches to "leading" for the next encounter, the gap between conjunctions widens significantly.

• Triple Conjunctions: Occasionally, if Mars is moving very slowly (near retrograde) and Venus swings past it, reverses, and passes it again, you can get three conjunctions in a short span of a few months.

Summary of Recent & Future Conjunctions

To illustrate the irregularity, here are recent and upcoming dates:

• July 13, 2021: Conjunction (Separation ~0.5°)

• February 22, 2024: Conjunction (Interval: ~2.6 years)

• January 8, 2026: Next Conjunction (Interval: ~1.9 years)

Note on Visibility: The conjunction on January 8, 2026, will be very difficult to see because both planets will be very close to the Sun in the sky (solar conjunction).  

Comparison: Heliocentric Period

If you were floating in space looking at the planets orbiting the Sun (heliocentric view), Mars and Venus align much more frequently—every 334 days. We don't see this from Earth because our own orbital motion constantly shifts our viewing angle.

Saturn in Aries: A Personal Overview

With so many planets and sensitive points in Aries, the 29.2 year cycle of Saturn through this sign should have a major impact on my life. Let's look back and review. In my lifetime, Saturn's first entry into Aries occurred on March 4th 1967 which was close to the time that I started my University education at the University of Queensland. See Figure 1.

March 1967 to April 1969

Figure 1: Saturn enters Aries 1st cycle

This was obviously a big deal. Saturn left Aries on April 30th 1969. A year later I would be in the army but that period, covering my initial two years at University, was very important to my growth. I made new friends and enjoyed novel experiences even if my academic performance was woeful.

Saturn's next entry into Aries occurred on April 8th of 1996, soon after I arrived in Singapore. This was a major turning point in my life as I embarked on a new life abroad. See Figure 2. Saturn later turned retrograde in Aries until it stationed in 0º36' on December 4th 1996. It did not reenter Pisces and left Aries for the final time in that cycle on March 1st 1999. The next year my new life in Jakarta would begin.

April 1996 to March 1999

Figure 2: Saturn enters Aries 2nd cycle

As Saturn leaves Aries, if spends the next two and a half years in my first house. The passage of Saturn through Aries seems to usher in a new era that sweeps aside the old way of life and thus makes way for even bigger changes less than a year later. To go back to April of 1969, it was clear that I was not going to graduate from the teacher's training college at Kelvin Grove. I was still sleep-walking through life. My transition from school life to a leisurely and lazy lifestyle was drawing to a close. I was on a collision course with the Army and we would collide a year later. Going back to March of 1999, I knew my life in Singapore was coming to an end and I was preparing for a transition. I didn't know where but eventually I was to land in Jakarta in early January of 2000. 

Of course I won't see another cycle of Saturn but if things follow the same pattern then there should be significant changes coming up for me in the next couple of months. What sort of changes remain to be seen. We are already contemplated visiting Melbourne in June but we've done that twice before so that's hardly something new. See Figure 3. This time around Saturn only spends a brief amount of time initially in Aries. On July 13th, it stations in 1º56' and then crosses the First Point of Aries again on September 1st before returning (moving forward) on February 14th 2026. Saturn leaves Aries on April 14th 2028.

May 2025 to April 2028

Figure 3: Saturn enters Aries 3rd cycle

Mars-Venus Conjunction 2024

Figure 1: conjunction of Mars and Venus
in Aquarius on February 22nd 2024

The conjunction of Mars and Venus took place about 5pm on February 22nd 2024 in 7° of Aquarius. That was a Thursday and it's now around the same time on the following Sunday. The two planets remain close and are currently in 9°25' (Mars) and 10°54' (Venus). The average time between these conjunctions is 334 days. I've written about these conjunctions several times in my blog titled Astrological Meanderings.

The current near conjunction of these planets places them in sextile to my natal Mars-Venus conjunction. I can't say I've been feeling all that well physically or mentally over the past few days. Whether that's the result of the conjunction or not I don't know. Anyway, just making a note of it here.

73rd Solar Return Approaches

Figure 1 shows the current transits as they affect my natal chart, a day before the Sun returns to the exact position it occupied at the time of my birth.

Figure 1

What struck me was the looming opposition of transiting Saturn to my natal Saturn. I'd forgotten how important the transits of this planet to its natal position have been in my past. Figure 2 shows the time in years since my birth when the planet has been in square, conjunction and opposition to its natal position. Of course these times are not exact because the ignore retrograde motion but they represent approximations.

Figure 2

All these times are associated with important events in my life and in particular the last opposition, soon after my 44th birthday in 1993, was quite dramatic in many ways. Could this coming opposition turn out to be similarly dramatic? Things are stirring, that's for sure. Time will tell.

Saturn in currently moving forward through Aquarius and will station in 25°15' on June 4th 2022. It will retreat to 18°35' by October 23rd 2022 and then move swiftly forward to an exact opposition in 0°01' of Pisces on March 8th 2023. After moving forward into Pisces, it will later retrograde before stationing in 0°30' Pisces on November 4th 2023. The full force of the aspect will probably be felt around that time. The 73.64 years shown in Figure 2 is a rough average of all these backwards and forwards motions of the planet.

It's interesting to note that transiting Pluto just hovers around Jupiter and my MC over this entire period. When Saturn stations opposite its natal position in November of 2023, Pluto is in 28°02' of Capricorn. Currently, on April 1st of 2022, it is in 28°24' of Capricorn!